Dialed number recognition arrangement

Abstract

Recognition, including validation, of any dialed number may be fully accomplished entirely at an originating switching system (10) which includes a call-processing arrangement (200) that has stored definitions of the syntax (320, 350) and the grammar (400, 410) of one or more network numbering plans. The syntax definitions include definitions (312) of all individual symbol strings that are valid for the defined network numbering plans. The dialed number is parsed (340) to recognize therein all included symbol strings. Network facilities (16) for the call outside of the originating switching system are seized and used (344) only after all the included symbol strings are recognized and the entire dialed number is validated.

We claim: 
     
       1. A switching system for use in a telecommunications network having a network numbering plan, comprising: means, dedicated for use by this switching system exclusive of other switching systems, for storing information defining the network numbering plan;   means for receiving, from a caller served directly by the switching system without intermediacy of other switching systems, any called number not served by this switching system;   means connected to the receiving means and to the storing means for recognizing entire said received number by using the information stored in the storing means; and   means connected to the recognizing means for establishing a connection for the call to a part of the network outside of this switching system only following recognition by the recognizing means of the entire received number.   
     
     
       2. The switching system of claim 1 wherein: the storing means store contents defining a syntax and a grammar of the network numbering plan; and   the recognizing means comprise   means for parsing the received number by using the syntax-and grammar-defining contents of the storing means to recognize entire said received number.   
     
     
       3. The system of claim 1 wherein the recognizing means comprise:   means for recognizing entire said received number by using only information contained in this switching system.   
     
     
       4. The switching system of claim 1 wherein: the recognizing means include   means for validating the entire received number against the network numbering plan by using the information stored in the storing means; and   the call-connection establishing means establish a connection for the call to a part of the network outside of this switching system only if the validation means validate the entire received number.   
     
     
       5. The switching system of claim 1 wherein: the called number is a sequence of any symbols that is included in the network numbering plan.   
     
     
       6. The switching system of claim 1 for use in a telecommunications network having a network numbering plan which is used to form a plurality of sequences of symbols and wherein caller-supplied ones of the symbol sequences are used to specify treatment to be given to calls, wherein: the means for connecting to a caller obtain from the caller a symbol sequence specifying a call treatment not provided by this switching system.   
     
     
       7. The switching system of claim 1 for use in a network of a plurality of interconnected switching systems, wherein: the storing means are for storing information defining the entire network numbering plan;   the connecting means are for obtaining from the caller a called number served by another one of the switching systems of the network; and   the call connection-establishing means are for establishing a connection for the call to another one of the switching systems of the network only following recognition by the recognizing means of the entire received number.   
     
     
       8. The switching system of claim 7 wherein: the recognizing means include   means for validating the entire received number against the network numbering plan by using the information stored in the storing means; and   the call-connection establishing means establish a connection for the call to another one of the switching systems of the network only if the validating means validate the entire received number.   
     
     
       9. A switching system for use in a telecommunications network that is interconnected with at least one other telecommunications network, each one of the networks having its own network numbering plan, comprising: a plurality of means dedicated for use by this switching system exclusive of other switching systems, each for storing information defining the network numbering plan of a different one of the networks;   means for receiving, from a caller served directly by the switching system without intermediacy of other switching systems, any called number not served by this switching system and included in the network numbering plan of any one of the networks;   means connected to the connecting means and to the plurality of storing means for recognizing entire said received number by using the information stored in the plurality of storing means; and   means connected to the recognizing means for establishing a connection for the call from this switching system to another part of any one of the networks only following recognition by the recognizing means of the entire received number.   
     
     
       10. The system of claim 9 wherein the recognizing means comprise:   means for recognizing entire said received number by using only information contained in this switching system.   
     
     
       11. The switching system of claim 9 wherein: the recognizing means include   means for validating the entire received number by using the information stored in the plurality of storing means; and   the call-connection establishing means establish a connection for the call to another part of any one of the networks only if the validating means validate the entire received number.   
     
     
       12. The switching system of claim 9 wherein: each of the plurality of storing means store contents defining a syntax and a grammar of the network numbering plan of a different one of the networks; and   the recognizing means comprise   means for parsing the received number by using the syntax-and grammar-defining contents of the storing means corresponding to the network numbering plan of said one of the networks which includes the received number, to recognize entire said received number.   
     
     
       13. A switching system for use in a telecommunications network having a network numbering plan and wherein callers supply sequences of symbols to specify treatment that is to be given to calls, each sequence comprising at least one symbol string that is defined for the numbering plan of the network, comprising: means, dedicated for use by this switching system exclusive of other switching systems, for storing definitions of the symbol strings of the network numbering plan;   means for receiving, from a caller served directly by the switching system without intermediacy of other switching systems, any sequence of symbols specifying a call treatment not provided by the switching system;   means connected to the connecting means and to the storing means for recognizing every symbol string of the obtained symbol sequence by using the information stored in the storing means; and   means connected to the recognizing means for seizing a facility for the call outside of this switching system only following recognition by the recognizing means of every symbol string of the obtained symbol sequence.   
     
     
       14. The switching system of claim 13 wherein: the storing means store contents defining a syntax and a grammar of the network numbering plan; and   the recognizing means comprise   means for parsing the received sequence of symbols by using the syntax-and grammar-defining contents of the storing means to recognize in the sequence every included defined symbol string.   
     
     
       15. A switching system for use in a network of a plurality of interconnected switching systems, comprising: data storage means for storing contents defining a syntax and a grammar of a numbering plan of the network that comprises a plurality of defined symbol strings, the contents that define the syntax comprising definitions of individual ones of the symbol strings of the network numbering plan, said data storage means dedicated for use by said switching system exclusive of other switching systems;   means connected to the data storage means and responsive to receipt, from a caller served directly by said switching system without intermediacy of other switching systems, of a sequence of symbols associated with a call and including at least one symbol string of the network numbering plan, for parsing the received sequence by using the syntax-and grammar-defining contents of the data storage means, to recognize in the sequence every included symbol string of the network numbering plan and to determine a meaning within the network numbering plan of each said recognized symbol string;   means connected to the data storage means and to the parsing means and responsive to the determined meaning of the at least one recognized symbol string for specifying a treatment to be given to the call, by using the determined meaning of the at least one recognized symbol string and the contents of the data storage means; and   means cooperative with the specifying means for giving the specified treatment to the call, the giving means including   means for seizing any facility required for the call outside of the switching system only following recognition in the sequence of said every included symbol string.   
     
     
       16. A call-processing method in a telecommunications network having a network numbering plan, comprising the steps of: receiving, from a caller served directly by a switching system without intermediacy of other switching systems, at the switching system any called number not served by the switching system;   recognizing entire said received number at the switching system by using stored information dedicated for use by the switching system exclusive of other switching systems and defining the network numbering plan; and   establishing a connection for the call to a part of the network outside of the switching system only following recognition of the entire received number.   
     
     
       17. The method of claim 16 wherein: the step of recognizing comprises the step of   parsing the received number by using the stored information, which defines a syntax and a grammar of the network numbering plan, to recognize entire said received number.   
     
     
       18. The method of claim 16 wherein the step of recognizing comprises the step of:   recognizing entire said received number at the switching system by using only information contained in this switching system.   
     
     
       19. The method of claim 16 wherein: the step of recognizing comprises the step of   validating the entire received number against the network numbering plan by using the stored dedicated information; and   the step of establishing a call connection comprises the step of   establishing the call connection only if the entire received number has been validated.   
     
     
       20. The method of claim 16 wherein: the called number is a sequence of any symbols that is included in the network numbering plan.   
     
     
       21. The method of claim 16 in a telecommunications network having a network numbering plan which is used to form a plurality of sequences of symbols and wherein caller-supplied ones of the symbol sequences are used to specify treatment to be given to calls, wherein the step of obtaining a called number comprises the step of:   receiving from the caller at the switching system a symbol sequence specifying a call treatment not provided by the switching system.   
     
     
       22. The method of claim 16 in a network of a plurality of interconnected switching systems, wherein: the step of obtaining a called number comprises the step of   receiving, at an individual switching system, from the caller directly served by the individual switching system a called number served by another one of the switching systems of the network;   the step of recognizing comprises the step of   recognizing entire said received number at the individual switching system by using stored information dedicated for use by the individual switching system and defining the entire network numbering plan; and   the step of establishing a call connection comprises the step of   establishing a call connection for the call to another one of the switching systems of the network only following the recognizing of the entire received number.   
     
     
       23. The method of claim 22 wherein: the step of recognizing comprises the step of   validating the entire received number by using the stored dedicated information; and   the step of establishing a call connection comprises the step of   establishing the call connection only if the entire received number has been validated.   
     
     
       24. A call-processing method in a telecommunications network that is interconnected with at least one other telecommunications network, each one of the networks having its own network numbering plan, comprising the steps of: receiving at a switching system of one of the networks, from a caller served directly by the switching system without intermediacy of other switching systems, any called number not served by the switching system and included in the network numbering plan of any one of the networks;   recognizing entire said received number at the switching system by using stored information dedicated for use by the switching system exclusive of other switching systems and defining the network numbering plan of each one of the networks; and   establishing a call connection for the call from the switching system to another part of any one of the networks only following the recognizing of the entire received number.   
     
     
       25. The method of claim 24 wherein: the step of recognizing comprises the step of   parsing the received number by using the stored information, which defines a syntax and a grammar of the network numbering plan which includes the received number, to recognize entire said received number.   
     
     
       26. The method of claim 24 wherein the step of recognizing comprises the step of:   recognizing entire said received number at the switching system by using only information contained in this switching system.   
     
     
       27. The method of claim 24 wherein: the step of recognizing comprises the step of   validating the entire received number against the network numbering plan by using the stored dedicated information; and   the step of establishing a call connection comprises the step of   establishing the call connection only if the entire received number has been validated.   
     
     
       28. A call-processing method in a telecommunications network having a network numbering plan and wherein callers supply sequences of symbols to specify treatment that is to be given to calls, each sequence comprising at least one symbol string that is defined for the numbering plan of the network, comprising: receiving from a caller, at a switching system serving the caller directly without intermediacy of other switching systems, any sequence of symbols specifying a call treatment not provided by the switching system;   recognizing every symbol string of the obtained symbol sequence at the switching system by using stored information dedicated for use by the switching system exclusive of other switching systems and defining the symbol strings of the network numbering plan; and   seizing a facility for the call outside of the switching system only following the recognizing of every symbol string of the obtained symbol sequence.   
     
     
       29. The method of claim 28 wherein: the step of recognizing comprises the step of   parsing the received sequence of symbols by using stored information defining a syntax and a grammar of the network numbering plan to recognize in the sequence every included defined symbol string.   
     
     
       30. A call-processing method in a network of a plurality of interconnected switching systems, comprising the steps of: receiving from a caller, at an individual switching system serving the caller directly without intermediacy of other switching systems of the network, a sequence of symbols associated with a call and including at least one symbol string of a numbering plan of the network that comprises a plurality of defined symbol strings;   in response to the receipt, parsing the received symbol sequence at the individual switching system by using stored definitions of a syntax and a grammar of the network numbering plan, the stored definitions of the syntax comprising definitions of individual ones of the symbol strings of the network numbering plan, and said stored definitions being dedicated for use by the individual switching system exclusive of other switching systems, to recognize in the sequence every included symbol string of the network numbering plan and to determine a meaning within the network numbering plan of each said recognized symbol string;   in response to the determined meaning of the at least one recognized symbol string, specifying a treatment to be given to the call by using the determined meaning of the at least one recognized symbol string and the stored definitions of the syntax and the grammar of the network numbering plan; and   giving the specified treatment to the call, including   seizing any facility required for the call outside of the individual switching system only following recognition in the sequence of said every included symbol string.